Oregon Rafting Team

Each day is a new beginning.

2010-01-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

Quartzville Creek

Team River Runner New Years Day Float

501c3

So much more than just paddling these days.
A few weeks ago 12 of us paddled down Quartzville Creek, a pristine little drainage deep in the woods outside of Sweet Home Oregon. It wasn’t that long ago when I worried about getting 4 ORT boats down a class IV run safely. So nice to have a polished and experienced crew…for the most part, well at least on the water anyway!

A significantly more rewarding experience occurred on New Years Day as we joined the Northwest Rafters Association, the Oregon Whitewater Association, and most importantly Team River Runner for a float and picnic on the Sandy River. We were honored to guide some of our veterans down the river! It is just too easy to take for granted the privileged lifestyles we lead as Americans. Supreme sacrifices are made everyday which allow us to enjoy the highest standard of living in the world.

God bless our veterans.

Additionally, Dr. Frankenstein had been at work in his lab creating a formula to get ORT officially approved as a non profit 501c3 organization! We hope that this will allow us to generate a resource base which will facilitate the continued development of our entire river communities through whitewater festivals which of course include raft racing.

The challenge for all of us in 2010 will be to tirelessly continue our relentless pursuit of self actualization as we improve ourselves psychologically, spiritually, and athletically by riding the souls of the earth also known as a rivers and their ecosystems.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oregonraftingteam/

Getting an early start.

2009-12-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

The 1st day of training for 2010 happened on December 6th of 2009 following a team meeting at the boathouse. The boys braved ice and 33 degree weather by paddling the Sandy Gorge. Things should be heating up soon!

Western Whitewater Championship Series - III

2009-11-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

Western Whitewater Championship Series 2010
(WWCS-III)

The WWCS began 3 seasons ago when the Oregon Rafting Team (ORT) began to take on an active role in coordinating the dates of races and festivals in the Western United States. This coming season ORT will provide a scoring summary on their website which receives approximately 4000 hits annually. Prizes are awarded, and a regional representative is then nominated for both national and international levels of competition which at this time occurs only in the paddle raft racing category. In 2010 the WWCS R6 paddle raft champion will be nominated to compete in Costa Rica, an event which will take place in October of 2011 on the Reventazun and Pacuare Rivers.

The past two seasons, WWCS events have each drawn 45-105 competitors annually, in addition to a significant number of spectators, logistical supporters, and sponsors. Event coordinators are currently seeking a sponsor specific to the WWCS. This sponsor’s name would be directly linked in all promotions to the WWCS name and tradition. The WWCS represents the soul of competitive whitewater activities. We are paddlers, river lovers, and real people who wish to develop and nurture our respective river communities. Please contact Tim Brink nomadyellow@yahoo.com if you wish to support our efforts.

2010 Western Whitewater Championship Series
(WWCS)

1. March 20, 21 : Saturday, Sunday : Upper Wind (Festival)

2. April 3 : Saturday : East Fork Lewis

3. April 17, 18 : Saturday, Sunday : Upper Klamath (Festival)

4. May 1 : Saturday: Cal-Salmon Race

5. May 15-16 : Saturday, Sunday : Upper Clackamas (Festival)

6. June 5 : Saturday : Payettes, Boise (PBR Festival)

7. September 11 : Saturday : White Salmon (TBD)

8. October 9, 10 : Saturday, Sunday : Burnt Ranch Gorge

- R4 and R2 paddle rafts.
- Kayaks less than 9 feet.
- Kayaks 9 feet or more.
- Catarafts.

• Festival indicates that more activities will be included in addition to a downriver race. (Fun float, trainings, etc.)
• If your business or team would like manage/promote these possible events please contact me. nomadyellow@yahoo.com

2009 National Rafting Championships

2009-09-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

The 2009 USRA National Championships was just too much fun. A no consequence artificial course with big holes , staying in a luxury home on a lake in Maryland, and rafting the famous Upper Yak with legends were just a few of the highlights. Also included in our experience were staying with some hard chargers (in more ways than one) from Team River Runner http://www.teamriverrunner.org/, and coaching up a boat load of aspiring raft racers who were just 10 years of age named the “Lucky Dux”.

The week started out by running into some guides in Ohiopyle Pennsylvania. I was then invited to bowling night where I quickly found out that I cant bowl. The next day I was greeted by wet, warm weather as the back roads led me to Immersion Researchhttp://www.immersionresearch.com/. IR is long time supporter of ORT in addition to many other whitewater activities and liquid evolution for that matter. John, Roger, and the crew have been holding up in an old schoolhouse located in Confluence PA trying to make things better by developing practical and durable whitewater apparel that serves a number of paddling styles and climates. No easy task. After driving back up to the Pittsburgh airport I returned with Pork Chop and Fish to Ohiopyle where we ran into Tom from Shredder. In addition to mostly unsolicited but well received opinions Tom also had some colorful things to say about Russian boaters and his attack cows. We then found someone who knew Roger to roll to his house where we engaged in some evening conversation which somehow ended in a “friendly” game of submission wrestling. Team Quest provides us with more than just cool T-shirts to wear…http://www.tqfc.com/gyms/default.aspx?GymID=1

The following day we rumbled in to try out ASCI’s whitewater park http://www.adventuresportscenter.com/ which is ran efficiently by director and race host Matt Taylor. Big props to Matt for setting up a great slalom course and hosting a very smooth multi-disciplinary event. Growing up on rivers, I have to admit that I was quite skeptical in regards to racing on a concrete “river” bed. Turns out it was a hoot as flipping, swimming, and surfing throughout the course dished out really no consequences with the exception of possibly a scrape or two.

The next day we met up with the boys from 8 Ball to run the Upper Yak, an east coast classic! Walter showed us the lines when we could see him past the huge boulders and even Schneider cruised by in his strider and legendary wooden helmet. Suffice to say I had never witnessed quite the plethora of boaters and styles as we did on this run.

On Saturday following the time trials the Oregon Rafting Team (ORT)http://www.oregonraftingteam.com/ was just one second behind defending national champion and 6th finishing team at worlds just a few months prior, Timberline’s “Behind the 8 Ball”. Unfortunately a poor lane selection in the head to head race contributed to a disappointing showing in the head to head sprint as we finished that event in third. Behind 8 Ball and a team of solid guides with race experience from ASCI team “Charlie” led the field. After being the only team to grease our practice run on the slalom course ORT ended up flipping on our first run and then missing a gate on the second which left us in third overall going into the last event.

Sunday morning, competitors lined up across the main channel on the Lower Yak in preparation for a mass start 4 mile downriver race. Team Charlie slipped into the lead with ORT and 8 Ball hot on their tails. ORT then drafted 8 Ball as we charged past Charlie never to look back. At the conclusion of the 4 mile race ORT was just 100 or so feet behind the Timberline Men establishing our strongest downriver finish at a national event in our four year history. “Your guys were tough!” shouted guide Chris Reeder as he, Mike, Todd, and Bishop exchanged hugs with us in appreciation of a solid race and as a gesture of the camaraderie that we developed as raft racers during the course of the week. The raft racing community and the USRA continues to grow! Get your R6 crews ready as the USRA Board is working to hold the 2010 Nationals at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail Colorado near the beginning of June.
Happy paddling,
Tim Brink
President : United States Rafting Association
http://www.usaraftassociation.com/

The Aire Pumashttp://www.aire.com/aire/products/default.aspx?id=200 rocked as R4 race boats!

Women's and Mens' Results !:
http://www.adventuresportscenter.com/images/PDF_Files/2009raftnationalsresults.pdf

Give Us a Fighting Chance!

2009-07-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

All you need to do is show up to the fundraiser, enjoy yourself, and try to win something! Oregon rules! Details on our home page.

The Agony of Victory

2009-07-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Photo by Matt King

What has caused the recent rush to go so big? Waterfall records have been dropping as unemployment rates increase. Coincidence? No. Historically crime rates have increased in direct proportion to unemplyoment. People get depressed and anxious when basic biological drives such as physical work and productivity cannot be accomplished. Risks are taken, the sense of fulfillment pursued at nearly any cost. I was raised on a farm and now work in an office. As a youth my R2 partner Dan was unleashed to explore Montana, now he works in a lab all day and studies all night. We have jobs but our physical and emotional freedoms have been shackled.

Such is the plight of the "Alpha" personality in modern society. With no lions to kill, mountains to climb, or other pursuits which trigger the survivalistic instinct we live opressed lives. The anxiety builds, records get shattered, and the Alpha sleeps okay for a few nights until the beast of technology faciltates another challenge. My heart is appeased after banging in the cage. The drive home is tranquil after throwing down with another combatant who is strong in spirit yet weak in coping skills. Following the battle we respect each other and more importantly ourselves for surviving. The self concept is the core of our adaptability.

At 40 years of age my body cant take the hits it used to. Celestial Falls dropped me from it's heaven into the bowels of mortality. The intense pain of a 4 hour dislocated hip hammered home the message that I need to grow up. The volunteer rescue workers that left their farms in the Tygh Valley to help me out were the real heroes. These men looked me in the eye as my clammy hands held on to their warm arms. They were giving and I was taking.

I want to wake up with nothing but love and be happy.

Big Water SF Payette Race

2009-06-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

As the spring rains cruised into the Willamette Valley, ORT headed east over the Blue Mountains to the Payette Boise Revival this past weekend. The precipitation followed the team until after just after the mass start race on the “Staircase” run of the South Fork Payette outside of Boise, ID. Catarafts, kayaks, and the two raft teams blasted out from opposite banks at Deer Creek with ORT red close behind the kayak pack. A practice run paid off for ORT as they greased their lines in Staircase and slid past the main hole in Bronco Billy. Charging for the Banks finish, ORT passed kayaks and took 1st place ahead of the Hot Shots fire crew from Boise. Thanks to Sam Drevo and everyone else who helped out with the PBR event and the after party! Great seeing the Aire guys too.

Go hard or Go home in the Gorge

2009-06-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

A positive correlational coefficient has developed between our intensity and the temperature. Last weekend as the heat index climbed, ORT’s own internal regulator appeared to follow suit in an apparent attempt to achieve homeostasis within our environment.

A head to head raft race at high water on the White Salmon wasn’t enough, we simultaneously sent an R2 team to Eagle Creek to attempt a first raft descent. Adversity can build you or break you. On Saturday May 30, 2009, ORT grew as paddlers and brothers.

Wet Planet sponsored the race and also provided some very stiff head to head competition in the form of their R4 crew. The event took place in two stages, a timed race from BZ Corner to Husum Falls with the following results:

First Place: Oregon Rafting Team (Red) 29:05
Second Place: Oregon Rafting Team (Grey) 30:31
Third Place: Wet Planet Whitewater 30:39

The head to head race from immediately above Rattlesnake Rapid to Northwestern Lake resulted in the same finishing order yet was full of much more excitement! At the start the ORT Grey Team pinned the Red Team on some rocks as Wet Planet “escaped” through the big hole at Rattlesnake for a commanding initial lead. Two rapids downstream the Grey boys pushed passed Wet Planet for first with our Red squad still following closely behind in third. The Grey Team then went wide on a sweeping right hander as Red dismissed attempting to turn and simply T-boned Grey at full speed into a rock wall and slid by. Wet Planet followed suit with a successive slam keeping what was the first place boat on the mat and sneaking into second. After cleaning up their lines Red eventually began to pull away as we heard shouts from the teams behind us. Wet and Grey literally rammed and scolded each other for a good part of the next mile and a half.

Montana, Dirty, and Young Gun had their own set challenges which started with a 4 mile hike in under the blasting sun. With Ryan Scott, Paul, Hans, George and Jean providing support in the form of film documentation and safety, ORT’s Diabetic Duo of Dirty and Montana fried up the infamous 40 foot Skoonichuk Falls in a 14 foot Aire Raft! The Diabetic Duo were also fortunate enough to land Punchbowl Falls later that evening.
http://vimeo.com/4949609
http://vimeo.com/4965790?pg=embed&sec=

ORT travels to Idaho this weekend to compete in the 3rd Annual Payette Boise River Festival wrapping up the “spring” season which started back in March.

Big thanks to Paul Thomson for his Eagle Creek shots and to the beautiful White Salmon support crew for the race photos!

WWCS Upper Clackamas : A Festival of Champions

2009-05-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

70 paddlers awaiting in a large pushy eddy with white knuckle grips on their blades.
15 boats. 70 paddlers.

Wide eyes glancing about in attempt to estimate the surreal situation framed by the sun glistening off the water and the tension that laid on our shoulders and pressed on your skull.

A voice cried out and a swirling melee ensued. Like piranhas devouring their prey paddle blades turned the Clackamas River into a boiling frenzy. The only thought common amongst the combatants was that energy must be unabashedly expended. Muscles recoiled and exploded, cries echoed off the canyon walls, boats bounced and paddles cracked while continuing the deliberate pursuit of a clean line.

The mass start of the Western Whitewater Championship Series downriver race at the 26th Annual Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival was as much a tribute to the strength of the paddling community of the Pacific Northwest as it was endearing to the human spirit and all that is right about competition. We were happy before the race, challenged physically and emotionally during it, and became attenuated to our inner light afterward.

The Divine is not something high above us. It is in heaven, it is in earth, it is inside us.
- Ueshiba

Thank you Bob Mosier, the Northwest Rafters Association, and all event sponsors, volunteers, and participants. You have all had a part in making history this past weekend and establishing a standard that will rewardingly difficult in trying to repeat.

Cal Salmon '09 : Gettin After It!

2009-05-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

For the third consecutive year ORT rolled down to the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area in the Trinity Alps of Northern California to test our skills and take on all comers in the 6 mile California Salmon Race. The Nordheimer to Butler Creek section of the Cal Salmon represents one of the most beautiful free flowing river corridors in the world.

Paul Gamache started his monsters vs porn-stars race with an unsuspecting Go! which sent all types of crafts careening and clamoring into the first corner. We had decided to "dress up" as porn stars yet our thongs were hidden beneath our new Immersion Research splash tops and pants http://www.immersionresearch.com/.

This year the race was especially fun as the kayakers started behind the pack and had to try to get past us throughout the entire course. Rubbin is racin as we bounced off two yakkers who had hesitated to see the line dropping into Bloomer. We were finally able to pass a certain "local paddler" just 3 rapids above Freight Train, the finish, after chasing him for at least 2 miles. Next Adventure http://nextadventure.net/had again taken a van load of boaters down south from Portland so they could enjoy yet another great event in the Western Whitewater Championship Series (WWCS) without having to worry about paying for gas.

In the end we were able to defend our title as Pork Chop, Professor, and Skinny Fat Kid proved themselves worthy just their second time as Red Team paddlers. Our R4 finished less then a minute faster than an R5 team of guides from Ashland who had reportedly gotten some good advice and possibly even a little training from a former national team paddler. It's great to see other teams becoming more competitive and enjoying this great sport!

It rained all weekend so on Sunday we bit off the upper section of the South Fork of the Cal Salmon. A stout, tight little Class IV-V gorge just 12 miles or so upstream from the Nordheimer Campground. Portlanders Chris and Paul accompanied us as we dropped an R2 Puma and an R5 Super Duper Puma http://www.aire.com/aire/into this brown watered technical and at times quite ledgy section of water. It became clear by the end of the day that a boat just a few inches wider would not have squeezed through some of the slots. The highlight of the day might have been after we parked midstream just 30 meters or so above a huge horizon line. We backed down through two big boulders were still spinning the boat around as we dropped off a 10 foot ledge just in time to square up to a huge reversal.

The pics above are from scouts only as we had our hands full with safety. Hope to see ya'll soon at the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival http://upperclackamasfestival.org/ as the Western Whitewater Championship Series makes it's next stop before heading to the Middle White Salmon http://www.sundanceriver.com/white-salmon/

Upper Klamath Festival '09!

2009-04-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Super - sunny - solid weekend.
43 boaters participated on both Saturday AND Sunday.

Next Adventure treated everyone to beverages and a barbeque at the Noahs Rafting Warehouse at the conclusion of both days.
NA also printed up some sweet ORT T-shirts so everyone that signed up for the race went home with gear.

Bart from Noahs http://www.noahsrafting.com/ was once again a gracious host by providing camping, shelter, TRANSPORTATION, and another bonfire that aroused even the local firefighting officials....

Rogue Klamath River Adventureshttp://www.rogueklamath.com/, and Momentum River Trips http://www.momentumriverexpeditions.com/took time out of their busy schedules to both compete and provide shuttle vans.
Zach from Sundance River Trips was able to haul 6 catarafts to and from the river both days.

The river community from Southern Oregon came together to enjoy each other's company and then get after it with some rippin whitewater racin!
All classes started simultaneously in a head to head mass start just a few hundred meters above Class IV+ Caldera Rapid.
A crew from Noahs was literally bumping along side the ORT Red Team as we dropped into the frothy beast. (see pics above)
ORT busted the ledge hole and went left of the infamous Mushroom Rock, while Noahs took a slightly more conservative line to the right. The left line turned out to be faster as ORT surged ahead with a crew of Momentum guides and Zach in a cataraft breathing down our necks. Zach would chase us the remaining 6 miles finishing just 20 seconds behind ORT.

The final results of the first ever "organized" race down the Upper Klamath.
Commercial Rafts:
1st Momentum River Trips
2nd Noahs River Trips
3rd Rogue Klamath River Adventures
4th ORT Co-ed
5th and 1st place Women, Noahs Women.

1st place Cataraft and second overall Zach Collier of Sundance River Trips.
2nd place Cat and 3rd overall Pete from Momentum.

1st overall : ORT

Many cat-boaters, a shredder, 3 kayakers, and a few R2s provided safety throughout the 6 mile canyon section of the Upper Klamath.

Cant wait until next year!
The Western Whitewater Championship Series rolls on-
Hope to see everyone on the Cal Salmon May 1st through the 3rd!

Blog photos courtesy of Zach Collier, Luke Spencer, and Jeff Wishard of http://www.activeimagesphotography.com/

EF Lewis Waterfall Weekend

2009-04-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

Of the (12) R2 entries in the creeking competition 4 of the boats were manned by ORT crews. Dan and Timber just pulled off a first place finish by a mere 10 seconds in the roughly 2 mile course. We have just enough time to reload as we head down south to Ashland April 18th and 19th to race and coordinate the 2nd Annual Upper Klamath River Festival. The Western Whitewater Championship Series rolls on!

(These excellent EF Lewis photos provided by Molly Elliot)

Wind Festival 2009

2009-03-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

More competitors, more fun, mo betta!
The pictures tell the story.
From top to bottom:
1st overall Joe Stumpfel.
1st kayak under 8.6 Greg Mallory.
1st overall women Christie Glissmeyer.
3rd kayak Dave Hoffman and possee.
1st cat Zach Collier.
2nd cat Dave Hagmeier.
3rd cat John Meier.
1st raft ORT Red.

Special thanks to Garridan for the high quality pics!
http://camigastudios.com/Events.html">
See yall on the Upper Klamath April 18th and 19th!
Tune into our events page for current beta.

Illinois River 1/2 Day

2009-03-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Hope – To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment. To have confidence, trust.

Faith – A confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.

We decided to attempt a one day paddle raft descent of the 32 mile Lower Illinois River. At the time the level was approximately 8,000cfs above the recommended level with more rain in the forecast. Yet the 5 day forecast indicated a departure day flow in the high but not ridiculous range, and the window was on a Saturday.

We left Portland after work on Friday evening and eventually settled down for dinner at 10pm in Grants Pass. Our team of 5 paddle rafters, 2 safety kayaks and an exceptional shuttle driver arose the next morning to eat a hearty breakfast. The last meal we had planned on eating for quite some time. We arrived at the Miami Bar put in exactly on schedule. Dave, Mike, and Steve, catboaters who would be running the canyon section with us were just getting ready to shove off. They had planned on eating lunch, scouting Greenwall, and running the river at a quick but careful pace. On this day at least we had running the river in common.

BOOM! Rock shrapnel ricocheted off my lower legs. I looked down to see a 5 foot tear down the side of our boat. A frozen silence accompanied the stare of 7 dudes. “That’s too big to fix here”. About 5 minutes of everyone checking out the boat commenced while I retreated to a thinking area also know as an outhouse. I should stop here to add that Aire makes a very high quality product. The raft we were attempting to use is experimental in that the material used has never before been used for this type of an application. In contrast, the Puma we use for first descents was made of their standard material and has been absolutely bulletproof despite numerous wraps, drags, and nasty treatment.

I emerged from the time-out with a plan. Our safety boaters had already discussed running without us so they were simply assured that we would be at the take out to get them, at some point. Kenny and Willey (sounds like a bad country duo) also had to proceed so that Dave and his crew didn’t wait around for us downriver. The kayakers took off as we got dressed for the drive back into town. After several minutes of driving out we got cell reception and Montana Dan radioed H.Q. (aka his mom) who then started calling around GP for a replacement boat. Ferron’s Fun Trips was the only one who answered the phone in February. I eventually chatted with Ferron who said, “Well, it is the middle of winter, I might have a self bailing boat out in the stack somewhere, what kind of frame do you need”?

After finally finding the road he lives on out by the Rogue’s Hog Creek put in, I knew immediately from the driveway fence of recovered broken oars that we were about to encounter Ferron Mayfield. Possibly the character of all characters that have made a life out of guiding on the Rogue and the same person I followed down the Lower Rogue 17 years ago when I encountered Class III water for the very first time behind the oars. I’ll never forget our conversation as we scouted Blossom Bar on that trip after I had expressed my confidence in my ability to run Blossom, yet I was still very anxious as I have a very profound respect for the river. Ferron prefaced his reply as he commonly did with, “Well, respect for the river is a good thing”. Amen. Ferron then rowed his cat boat adorned with flags, plastic animals, and Bo the Invisible Dog down Blossom flawlessly. When I asked him about Bo today he said Bo is out behind the garden now helping things grow. Maybe that’s the moral of the story.

We rambled back to the put in arriving at 12:20. We had set 1pm as the cutoff time to try the trip. I deduced that even if we got in some trouble, if we got past Submarine Hole in daylight we could run the rest in the dark. We shoved off the beach at 1:02pm with sleeping bags, water, a water purifier, and enough carbs for today’s floating snacks and a night in the woods. The flow of 2100cfs was healthy, sometimes big, but ultimately smooth. Dirty swam after getting bounced by a 10 foot breaking wave in the second class IV and that was enough to keep him awake the rest of the day.

After Prelude, I gave some brief but specific instructions as to how we were going to read and run Greenwall. Since we were completely solo, we would skirt the meat by dropping into the kayaker’s sneak route far river left and then see how she looked as we dropped in. We peeled into the lower scout eddy at the Wall to kill all of our approach speed then we slowly backed out into the current for the approach. We backed down in paddling forward but facing upstream and staying close to the left side. The ominous roar of the upper ledge seemed to be distracting the boys, kind of like a bear breathing down your neck but you cant turn around to look. “We’re fine, looking good, easy”. Going backwards this slow, we got stuck on a partially submerged rock, 5 feet above the move. This helped reduce our entry speed, but also meant that we had zero momentum if we didn’t make the line. We wiggled off and started cranking. The borrowed boat with Ferrons Fun Trips emblazoned across the side ferried across the meat. With a quick right back we spun around and dropped cleanly down the center of the far left chute. I didn’t immediately see a solid ferry line back to river right so we simply pulled into an eddy on the left and took a look. Following a quick boat scout we peeled out to try a creeky little boof line but the wear strips on the bottom of what is usually a gear boat were very grabby and wouldn’t allows us to slide through. We ferried up again to try another line with the same result. At this point it was a little after 3pm so we obliged to portaging the lower half.

Montana Dan, Dirty, Professor, and Corporal C-Rad proved there grit by paddling aggressively through the remaining class IVs and pushing through the flat water to the take out. We hit the beach at 6:05pm. Total elapsed time was 5 hours and 3 minutes beating the previous ORT time (which was oar assisted) by 15 minutes. We even had 15 minutes to derig and celebrate before it got completely dark. There was little doubt we would get er done. There was always hope and faith.

The Blood of Our Lives

2009-02-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

River oh river you still seem to take me, to a place in my heart where my soul needs to go, a place in my heart where the river can grow. Pete Kartsounes

WFE sent me an invitation to join him when he hosted a performance of singer songwriter Pete Kartsounes as he rambled through yet another town on his journey. Pete isn't a boater, but he has the spirit of one. He has the ability to capture the intangibles of our sport in lyric and song.

For 5 dudes in a 14 foot raft the Sandy Gorge this past Saturday was as shallow and rocky as our economy. Getting stuck is temporary, we will all be flowing free soon. The forecast is for rain all week, and faith will pull us through the recession.

A gave Pete a hug after he finished singing River O' River, grateful that someone was finally able to articulate the "Blood of My Life".

Whitewater Designs

2009-02-20T11:05:00.001-08:00

Ken from Whitewater Designs out of Eugene Oregon has been making high quality river and safety gear for years. All materials are bought and produced from suppliers in the United States. Ken has also been an active supporter of river communities as evidenced by providing prizes at each of the events during the course of the 2008 Western Whitewater Championship Series. Ken has been running rivers longer than most of us are old and actively researches better and more innovative products each year. See his work at:http://www.whitewaterdesigns.com/

Gut Check

2009-02-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

Challenges are presented to us every Saturday. Unlike in life, we know that on the seventh day we will be asked to dig down and step up. The rains have subsided thus our class IV-V rafting runs have diminished. In an attempt to emulate extreme conditions we decided to have a training day. This strategy worked as evidenced by the pulling of neck gaskets to breathe, and dudes doubling over so they didn't puke on their pretty new IR drysuits. We were all smiles in the end as every challenge and even failure presents an opportunity to grow.

Two paddle teams have participated in our sessions conducted 5 of the last 6 weekends. Here we come.

January 2009 : So Fresh and So Clean

2009-01-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

Two full crews attended each of ORTs adventures in January. Snow lined banks and invigorating icy waters provided just a few of the setting variables as we paddled the Upper Clackamas, West Fork of the Hood, Upper Wind, and Sandy Gorge on successive Saturdays. Our rookies and veterans were able to synthesize into a coherent whole. The new dudes learned quickly after swimming on the Upper Clackamas at high water week one, that stomping good lines by working together was much more enjoyable, and warm. Hopefully it keeps raining so we can keep training. It has been nice that on each of our trips we have been joined by catarafters and kayakers. Developing supportive river communities and running some rad whitewater is what this is all about. Teams are essentially a collection of relationships. Both become more if based on the virtues of bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship.

West Fork Hood River TR

2009-01-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

What up?
The day of the “W”.
Slightly Worried about the Workability of a Wordmonger but-

World class WhiteWater experience.
The West Fork of the Hood at 6.3 feet Was Way rad.
No Wood. Wow. No Worries.
Wall to Wall Waves in the gorge sections made this TR easy to Write about.
White snow lined the river’s banks in addition to the 18 inches or so as viewed through the Windshield’s of our 4WDs on the access road.
The river Wisdom amongst the 3 kayakers, 1 catarafter, and the ORT crew of 6 allowed us to Wiz through the run and fish ladder portage in just 75 minutes.
No Wisenheimers, just gracious Wit, as We Withdrew the boats out of the canyon by Wenching them up the cliff utilizing teamWork.
We are Worthy.
www.oregonrafting team.com

Moving Forward in 2009

2009-01-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

The best New Year’s Day in recent memory started with an uncharacteristic quick jump out of a warm bed. Huh, usually not that excited to go boat class II water early in the morning when it’s raining on snow. Today was different because it wasn’t about me, or ORT, it was about giving back. I joined the Navy as a 20 year old with something to prove 20 years ago. I had seen enough movies and read enough books to know that patriotism, while prideful can still be honorable, and that I was no better than the thousands that went down so that we may choose.

We stood around on the snow in the rain for two hours on the bank of the Sandy River while waiting for our passengers to arrive and get dressed. I was thankful to have feet that could get cold. The next 2 hours were spent crashing through surging waves as the river steadily rose (the put in beach was underwater just a few hours after launching). Everyone paddled well, just another good crew smiling and embracing the physical and spiritual power of whitewater. For a few hours we were all whole and unconcerned.

We then enjoyed a barbeque while huddling beneath the shelter at the campground. The members of our river community present symbolized resiliency, moving forward, enjoying the hear and now, accepting what is. God Bless America and our vets.

Tim

Huntun Seezun

2008-11-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

So Young Gun shoots me an email-
"If you're interested I think I've found a run that hasn't been rafted yet. There is a 5 mile section that drops an average of 175fpm which hasn't been kayaked yet either due to highly restricted access. We only have this weekend to try it, the drainage is in an area that is heavily logged, the recent heavy rains may have washed some lumber into the creek, and, we have to hide our boats and dress up like hunters to get close enough for a scout."
?
Okay we're in.
I arrive at Ox's house at 7am and he walks out wearing green overalls, a hunter orange vest, a Rambo III knife, and a Jason mask.
?
Alright that's funny, ha-ha-ha...ha.
He wore the green overalls all day, even after we got past Gate Lady. We call him Ox, he pronounces "creek", "crik", and he even had a camo blanket to cover the boats when we rolled up to the access gate, dadgumit.

Gate Lady put down her cigarette, wrote down our license plate, said "good luck" and handed us an elk hunting rules document before she shuffled back to her post.
We were in.
Got to the put in, not enough water.
Before straying from the road I donned Ox's orange vest since I was wearing black and the place was crawling with Elmer Fudds.
We then scouted the upper gorge before relinquishing to the fact that the lower 3 miles of the crik would be as gnarly as we were going to get on this day.

The lower section had been kayaked once so we had some good beta.
We only rafted the 2 class IVs as the class V looked doable but I just wasn't feelin it. See footage of this run at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clGcwndRS_0

After scrapin through the run and sliding by downed trees YG and Ox ran the shuttle.
"Didn't you boys come through here this morning?" the Gate Lady asked.
"Ya but we were in a different car" was YG's reply.
Silence.
Silence.
Gate Lady shuffled back to her post.

Ox and I stopped and visited Nightcrawler, who now lives in them there parts, on the drive home. The next day we geared it down and enjoyed River Rat Sunday with Andy n Bax on the Clackamas. Hopefully we can return again someday and get on the upper section of the creek mentioned in Huntin Seezun, at that point Ox will proudly exclaim, "We goll darn gone n done it again".

See more trip details at Young Guns blog:
http://www.mthoodh2o.blogspot.com/

Tim

Upper Lewis River : First Raft Descent

2008-09-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

I was over at Young Gun’s (Jake Cruser) pad the other night working on the 2008 ORT video when YG asks/challenges me with, “Would you ever run a 30 foot waterfall in a raft?”
“Oh ya if it looks clean” was my surprisingly quick reply.

As soon as I got home I emailed Ox and the plan was put in place.
On Sunday we would attempt the first no portage raft descent of the Upper Lewis River’s waterfall run, 2 miles, 3 huge drops.

Taitnapum Falls
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/waterfall.php?st=WA&num=1038
Upper Lewis Falls
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/waterfall.php?st=WA&num=1039
Middle Falls (more of a slide at this level)
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/waterfall.php?st=WA&num=1040
Lower Lewis Falls
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/waterfall.php?st=WA&num=1043

I then rounded up 2 football helmets, mouthpieces, coffee, and off we went.

T Falls was super skinny on the approach as we barely had enough water to scrape over the edge. The boat turned at the lip sending us careening over a huge fan rock which directed us into the bank upon landing nearly running over Young Gun with the video camera. We stayed solidly in the boat, that’s a good thing.

After a quick scout we ran the first ledge at Upper Falls, then after much deliberation portaged the 20 foot second tier which at this level had a smallish landing area, with the water either pushing into the cave river left or an exposed rock river right which likely would have loaded the 14 foot AIRE onto a hammering recirculation ride.

Ox got hammered by mist and spray for a good 30 minutes as he clung to the side of the cliff wall at the staging area for the 30 foot exit ledge. Once the cameras and safety boaters were finally in place, I rappelled down to join him. Ox never did scout this drop and relied completely on my opinion as to the runna/livability of this waterfall.
We have been teammates and friends for 3 years now. Trust is earned.

The eddy was just big enough for the boat. We had 6 feet to get out in the current and square up for the plunge. John held the back of our boat as I set the bow angle and jumped in. We cranked out 3 strokes and got down, we were not far enough left and I didn’t think we would be.
“Oh #$%* “ Ox yelled as we teetered over the lip. The next few seconds of white concluded with a crack as our heads collided in the landing zone, a pleasant white flash and numbing sensation, just like when you light someone up when running down on the kickoff team. We were sure the mouthpieces saved us both from a concussion.

Middle Falls was a mellow careening rock slide at this level.
We lost the boat when lining the upper channel at Lower Falls.
It went off sideways and ghost landed upright.
Ox and I decided to come back the following week for a second attempt.

Following a strenuous warm up to get a sweat going we carried the boat down the trail.
Rob and Rob Virostek from http://www.kayakattack.com/ were on hand for photos and safety as we attempted the first raft descent of a rather daunting 40 footer.
The 4 foot ledge 14 feet from the lip insured that the approach would not be easy, the cave river left in the landing zone increased the danger factor.

Robbie held the back of the boat as we lined up our approach angle at the ledge. After several rehearsals of both our paddle and get down technique I gave him the thumbs up to let us go. As we inched away the approach angle felt too left so I skipped my second forward paddle, Ox did not sense this change and took another forward stroke. I braced the stern as we hit the ledge’s hydraulic but the boat still spun bow right. This spin actually lunged the boat forward giving us no time to correct the angle.
We were going off the 40 footer sideways and without time to appropriately get down.

I was able to grab the inner floor handle with my left arm, and the perimeter line with my right in hope that possibly the raft would line sideways and still remain up right like the ghost run last week. Ox had no grab and essentially was free falling throughout.
I had compared running waterfalls to jumping off a cliff into a pool of water, panic never set in as this was accepted as now being the case. We slammed into the froth and my grip was immediately wrenched free by an overwhelming force known as inertia that has rewarded me with a sprained elbow and wrist. Ox went under for a few seconds and was flushed downstream with the overturned raft.

My journey was just beginning.
The beatdown under the falls lasted for around 20 seconds, when the hammering finally lessened my first glance was at a wet rock wall. Going under again concern arose and relaxing became more difficult. The second time I came up it was quickly reasoned that I was river left, surrounded my wet walls, and was going into the cave. The third time I came up it was accepted that I was indeed in the cave and my hands pushed off the sides to insure that my lower body would not get washed into an undercut. Once off the wall and finally floating, I took off the helmet and spit out the mouthpiece so I could breathe.
Noticing a ledge directly behind the curtain I swam over and was able to pull myself out and stand up. A 5 foot log floated around the cave eddy along with my helmet and elbow guard as I attempted swimming out.
No way.
The current was flying down the left wall, and to the right was the waterfall curtain that I had just lost round one to in a TKO. I was going to have to be rescued. The situation was one I had not been in before, the rescuee.
A large wooden beam with bent over nails was lodged into the back wall. I was able to crawl out on this in hope that the folks watching could get a glimpse that I was alive so they wouldn’t panic. It worked. Tired of getting blasted by spray I crawled back to my little corner behind the curtain. A penalty box for blowing the line and attempting something absurd like running a 40 foot waterfall in a raft especially when the entrance was NOT clean and there was a CAVE near the landing zone.

I attempted to coordinate my rescue by yelling from the cave.
No one could understand me. Of course you then get the thoughts of; I hope this is a rescue and not a recovery, this better happen fast so I don’t get hypothermic, I need to remain calm and in control of myself, which I did.
Throw bags floated in on occasion but the angle was all wrong, they would have simply pulled me back into the impact zone. I jumped out of the penalty box and grabbed one anyway. Sure enough it was dragging me back in so I let go and swam back to “my corner”. The raft paddlers couldn’t get in nor could they paddle and throw a bag in, this move is possible and could have worked but with no practice and under pressure…

Finally, Rob climbed up to the ledge overshadowing the cave and on the third attempt got a bag in. He was still directly overhead so I gave a gentle “fish on” tug which prompted him to walk downstream with the rope. Once all the slack was gone I jumped in and swam towards the edge of the cave. Big Rob kept pulling as I negotiated the rocks guarding the exit/entrance to the cave with my feet before finally clearing the hydraulic and swimming downstream.
Total down time, 45 seconds. Total cave time 14 minutes.
All parties kept their heads throughout.

I was given a warm jacket and then ran upstream to set safety for Robbie.

We got away with one, I know that and am quite grateful.

ORT Summer TR : The Off-Season

2008-07-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

Friends,

The hot summer is here.
Spring flows have diminished and folks not yet holistically connected to rivers are dipping into tributaries for their seasonal experience and relief from the physical heat.
The ORT boys welcome this participation in addition to engaging in life.
In our off-season, this may look like:

Preparing to live and teach in the Dominican Republic.
Buying a family farm in Northern California.
Getting married.
Enjoying long peaceful hikes.
Anticipating the birth of a first son.
Taking the first class V run after recovering from an injury.
Developing a race car.
Studying to be a positive leader.
Being a professional river bum.
Training for a cage fight.
Hanging out with Hollywood,a Nigerian Dwarf goat.
Reading.
Reflecting.
Processing.
Actually floating down a run.

The team will get rolling again around December. The momentum of our relationships, training, and paddling builds until the first race in March. In developing our team and river communities, we need your help and participation. Please contact us and join in at what has evolved into being a profound and special experience in a world that frequently challenges the soul to become less than virtuous.

The 2008 USRA National Rafting Championships The Season's Final Chapter

2008-06-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

Everything changes and ends.

Our journey began nearly 6 months ago in the midst of long, cold, and lonely winter. We generated light on the sixth day of every week by committing to paddling together every Saturday. It seemed as though every run was along snow lined banks, and each put in a long seal launch into icy waters. Grown men acting like boys, going tubing on a raft, laughing, the cold winter wasn’t so cold anymore. In time we were rewarded with spring.

The days became longer and the darkness slowly began to slip away.

Race season. Pain, commitment, organization, personal sacrifice.
Yet the laughter was rich, the interactions more congruent, the memories entrenched.

Flat-water training began 3 months ago. In the last month, the snow lined banks were replaced with dirty asphalt often only an inch from our nose as we hammered out push ups, and the clear streams now served as a reward for paddling on the murky Willamette.
Three times a week. This was a period of growth.

We rolled into Idaho for the United States Rafting Association National Championships knowing that we had already experienced a remarkable season. The goal was to paddle hard and do our best, and the boys did not disappoint.

Slalom
Things don’t always go according to plan.

The slalom course at Lower Otter’s Slide on the North Fork of the Payette had 4 upriver gates which included very difficult ferries. Our practice went okay, now we would have two timed runs and the best times of the two would determine placing. Our exuberant yet inexperienced crew exploded out of the starting area and nearly missed gate 1, a hard left turn to an upriver gate. Rattled, I miscalled the move through gate 2 and we missed gate 3 which snowballed into confusion and the rest of the run was completed in shock and despair.

A Nationals level format consists of a slalom, sprint, and downriver. We were one heat into 3 days of racing and were already faced with not even placing. All that work….our backs were now against the wall. Other teams compounded the pressure by having solid runs. My crew looked at me for direction, I fought back the fear and returned a confident stare. We went for a run. Sweat was familiar.

Solemnly, we settled into position at the starting area, a glance downstream revealed the left bank to be lined with spectators and the difficult gates dangling amongst the fast water. 3-2-1 the boat lurched off the bank and we set the line to gate 1. Conservatively we slid slightly downstream before charging back up and through this upriver gate. Ferrying out into the current we deftly backed through gate 2 and headed to 3 which was yet another upriver gate. Cleaning 3 we spun around and charged for 4, we were on line and our confidence increased with each millisecond. We nailed 4, snuck through 5, and attacked 6, coming out hot at the perfect angle for the big pour-over which hid the consecutive upriver gates of 7 and 8. The boat landed sideways off the pour-over in line and centered for gate 7, we could now hear the crowd. Fighting upriver through 7 we spun around in the current and set up for 8 which was quickly negotiated before heading back across the river to the finish.

We nailed it. Failure merely establishes a setting to evolve and succeed. With the trust we had established in each other, the boys pushed through. Our shouts and hugs following the second slalom run will never be forgotten. Many of us could not remember the last time we had felt such joy, Rasta equated the feeling to the birth of his son Ryder.

Sprint

The sprint consisted of about 300 meters of Class I and flat-water before entering a huge breaking wave which guarded the entrance to Staircase Rapid, a long Class IV on the South Fork of the Payette. Again we had an excellent start and held a fast line as we barreled into the entrance of Staircase. The entrance wave surged on the boat momentarily burying us as we careened downstream towards two big holes. We recovered and sprinted towards the finish. A good run but we knew we could do better. I glanced at the times, we were just a few seconds out of first and tied for second.

The second run was more exciting. We were faster coming into Staircase and on line for possibly winning or getting second when the entrance wave slapped us silly. Onlookers would say the line and angle were good, our bow left getting blown out of the boat would indicate it wasn’t good enough. Our right side continued paddling and steering while the left pulled our swimmer back in and got re-situated. Given all this we were only 4 seconds slower than our first run. We finished day 2 tied for 3rd place.

Downriver, 4.5 miles

Our fitness and passion on this weekend was unmatched. Technique and experience, the two variables that separated us from the top 2 teams, Behind the 8 Ball (1st) and Team Colorado (2nd) would again be the determining factors in the downriver discipline. Our timing was slightly off, and my guiding technique not quite up to snuff in a world class race situation. Our lines were all good, however at this level it is much more than that. Fortunately, I know what to fix. 8 Ball has paddled together for 8 years, Team CO 3, ORT? We have had this particular crew together for 4 weeks, only 3 were the same from last year. We have gotten better every year. The 2008 National event marked the first time we even had 1st and 2nd place in sight. The gap will continue to close.

The 2008 season was a resounding success. It wasn’t just all the wins and good times. As a group we also experienced pain, loss, spirituality, fear, love, and mostly acceptance.

Dad’s saying, “That’s my son” when they otherwise do not feel comfortable sharing their feelings.
Feeling good even after defeat.
“That was as great a feeling as the birth of my son”.
“I will never forget your efforts here today, my hope is that these friendships last forever”.

ORT, we are more than just a rafting team.

There was no regret after stowing all the gear one last time.

Each man went home with a smile, walking quietly into that good night.

Tim

A Race for Life

2008-05-20T00:18:00.000-07:00

Do not fail
To learn from
The pure voice of an
Ever-flowing mountain stream
Splashing over the rocks.

10,000 cfs of brown water ripping through a normally tame river corridor,
20,000 thoughts, tearing at my soul.

This was a weekend like no other.
Racing through big pushy water was the easy part, guiding the memories was like a long bad swim.

The 25th Annual Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival was the biggest and hottest event of the season. 85 degrees with surging water slapping at the shore, while the roads, campgrounds, and banks were full of river enthusiasts of all types.
Kayakers were paddling rafts and rowing cats, while rafters were racing kayaks (okay so I raced slightly more than I swam…) – in short the whole community was given ‘er in the spirit of whitewater boating.

I strongly believe that nature, especially rivers, provide a template for understanding life. Which is why I feel it is worth the risk to share the following.
Exactly 2 years ago on a Sunday evening near Estacada immediately following the Festival I was married, 7 months and 10 days ago I was forced to leave my home and marriage.
7 months and 10 days ago I stopped drinking.
I’ve accepted that I can never drink again.
I didn’t like who I was and especially didn’t like how I treated people. I still have a long ways to go, my spiritual and psychological work will always continue.

This past weekend, it came as no surprise that the events I entered with my team were successful. The events I entered as an individual were not. Nearly the opposite was once true. The cloak of self centeredness is slowly lifting, the peace of listening to, and providing support for others, I pray will take it’s place. ORT is more than a rafting team. It is a group of guys that when the dust settles will listen, and when the gun goes off will sell out. Trust, listening, honor. Unknown variables in the alcoholic home.

All things change and end, pain is a part of life, things don’t always go according to plan, life is not always fair, people are not loving and loyal all the time. Accept these as givens and move on.
Blow your line in a Class V and give up? Or, paddle harder, maybe even take a bad swim and pull it off? I have found my soul. I've had the best job offers in my life without hardly even looking.

Good things will eventually come as a result of good intentions, bad things will happen to those who live in anger and fear. Again the river; look at the great events this year with guys like Bob, Kerry, Luke, Val, Brian, Deek, Eli, Paul, Mark, Mike……they have worked hard for the community. This has easily been the best season of whitewater competition and community that I have ever experienced.

As a team, the ORT Red and Gray boats won 5 of the 6 events they entered in the most competitive event thus far of the Western Whitewater Championship Series. What folks don’t know is that the boys do a 20 minute warm up run, stretch, and THEN run (10) 240 yard sprints while doing push ups and abs in the 60 second “break” in between sprints and then go out for flatwater training. We have consistently had 6-9 guys showing up for this….on 20 occasions.

Nationals are in 10 days. Teams are once again coming in stacked. We’ll give ‘em everything we got. Regardless of how we finish, we have ALL already won.

Stop and listen to the river.

Tim